This will be a rant...

OK, when you have three children in three years, you are in survival mode. Life is not easy at all -- in fact, it's downright madness. But you learn to do certain things like a well-oiled machine. You have to, or you will die. My morning routine, people -- it's a well-oiled machine. I get up at 5:00 am and get myself ready, then proceed to get the toddlers ready, and then -- when everything else is ready -- I wake up Charlie, change him, give him his Prevacid, and throw him in the car. And this is key, b/c he can't eat until 30 minutes after the Prevacid, so the drive to daycare gives us JUST enough time to get him there so he can eat immediately upon arrival. Which is why I have a new-found hatred for one of my old friends: the nebulizer...

Seriously, whoever thought up the concept of the nebulizer as a way of dispensing medicine for children either has none, or hates all people who DO have children. I can tell you this -- he or she does NOT have three young children. Because anyone who thinks "I know, I will create a device for the dispensing of medication that involves a young child wearing a MASK, with a LOUD machine shooting steam into their faces, and it will take 30 minutes per medication" is on crack. CRACK, folks. And this person clearly invented this machine for one reason: he or she HATES ME.

See, going back to the well-oiled machine concept, I can tell you one thing. I have NO time to add 45 minutes of nebulizing into my morning. None of my children are yet capable of dressing themselves, feeding themselves, or, really, much of anything aside from whining, begging for more milk, and beating on each other/crying. Add in the fact that my husband is still at work when I am doing my morning routine, AND the fact that Charlie has to take his Prevacid 30 minutes before he eats -- and anything added into my morning routine becomes disaster. And now, enter the nebulizer...

Charlie has been wheezing for weeks now. WEEKS. And while I am used to asthmatic kids, I'm not used to kids that don't respond to oral steroids plus the neb. So now Charlie is on (only asthma parents need listen here -- ther rest of you may doze off) Prednisolone, as well as Pulmicort and Albuterol via neb, and that means AT LEAST 45 MINUTES of nebulizing. And let me add that most of the time that 45 minutes involves me holding him down, while screaming, and trying to keep his flailing arms from pulling the mask off his face. It is SO MUCH FUN. NOT.

All of this means that I now have to wake up earlier than God, get myself dressed and ready for work, then get Charlie up and dress him, give him the Prevacid and Prednisolone, plop him in his jumperoo, and give him Albuterol while watching Playhouse Disney, hoping he'll leave the mask on. Then I fetch one of the tods and wrestle them into their clothes, all the while going back and forth to Charlie in this "neb on, neb off, neb on, neb off" dance where he screams, tries to eat the mask, pulls it off his face, screams more, fights me, etc. And -- asthma parents again -- you know how you can hear the sound when the neb mask comes off the face? I can hear it from halfway up the staircase to get Katie out of bed. I'm all "Damn. There it goes again!" I get halfway through the Albuterol (by now the tods MAY be dressed) and usually just add the Pulmicort b/c, really, who has time? And then on goes the dance, while I try to fight the tods into their coats and shoes, and into the car. I think Charlie is only getting about half of his doses, but what do you want from me? Because now he's STARVING, and screaming for his bottle, and I don't have time to give him a bottle before daycare! I take it back -- I probably COULD give him a bottle and just be late, but in the meantime Jack and Kate would fight so much that I would surely kill them. So I throw the kids all in the car (a lot of screaming ensues at this time, of course, b/c Jack and Kate are THE SLOWEST CHILDREN PLACED ON EARTH and it takes them a good hour to get up in their carseats--another rant, another time) and drive them to school where I hand over a screaming, starving Charlie to his poor teacher so he can eat.

So, long story short, I hate the neb. HAAAAAAATTTTE the neb. More than Charlie does, matter of fact. And I hate the fact that I was not spared at least ONE child that didn't have asthma. Sigh....

Jack's first neb, 6 mos. March, 2007

Kate's first neb, in hossy, 1 month. November, 2007. Kate wins the prize for earliest neb. See that tiny turtle mask they used for her? I saved it as some kind of sick souvenir of her time in the hospital. My poor, sick baby...

Adventures in Photography...

NOTE: This post was started a month ago, and is only now being published. Because I am THAT far behind in my life. Sigh...

Well, it was a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday, with members of the Karp/Finkelman clan attending (Mamele & her boyfriend Joe, Matt & his girlfriend Amy) and -- utterly by coincidence -- my Aunt Sharon, cousin Sherry and her DH Brian happened to be in town to see the monuments, so I got a chance to have some Beyers with me as well! This was a true blessing, b/c I haven't seen my family since my wedding, and getting the chance to really HANG with them was awe. some. I cooked dinner (which clearly shows how out of my mind I am right now -- who with their right mind cooks dinner for 12 when they have three young kids underfoot?), and it surprisingly came out really well. Yay for me! We all had the best time hanging out, and the kids were in full glory being spoiled by so many relatives.

My plan was to decorate the tree on Friday, per McMurry tradition, but of course the house was a madhouse, and we didn't get around to it. On Saturday I managed to get all the ornaments, etc, out, Andrew put up the tree, and we got to trimming! I decided to put the tree up in our entryway this year because (1) it just looks amazing there, and (2) the kids don't hang out all day in the foyer, so my chances of someone pulling down ornaments/a tree are minimized. Then, b/c it looked so pretty, my plan was to take some holiday photos of the kids -- hopefully something Christmas Card worthy. All I can say about this adventure is -- thank GOD I had three other pairs of hands there to wrangle. Seriously. If you have three kids ages 3 and under -- you need at least one pair of hands per child in order to successfully take photos of said children -- and even then you aren't guaranteed smiles and/or everyone looking at the camera at once. And -- I still giggle at this -- I had planned a costume change, b/c I really wanted to get the kids in their Santa gear from last year. I think they will still fit, and I bought Charlie a...wait for it...reindeer outfit to go with it, b/c yes, I AM that mean. Bahahaha. Hoo. Yeah, Jack flat out REFUSED to wear the Santa suit, so ... oh well.

Anyway, I got them all dressed up in their cute holiday outfits, and Amy and I plopped them down in front of the tree. I think Amy and I were laughing hysterically trying to get the kids to hold Charlie up, but we got a few good ones. I'm not sharing the actual card photos, b/c, well, I want people to see them on the CARDS, but anyway -- here are some of the better shots I got...

And one of my favorite shots of Charlie, heh:

Mean Mommy, I know, but I couldn't resist. Anyway, I didn't include the ones I chose for the card (I picked two) b/c I didn't want to ruin the surprise. But of course, here I am finalizing this post after Christmas, instead of when I STARTED it, after Thanksgiving. Sigh. Oh -- but in a happy coincidence (heh) I still haven't sent my Christmas cards out anyway, so... heh. Someday I will have time...

My turn for the Blogger Award

Kelly and Mary tagged me on this one awhile ago, and then Reid and Jaime chimed in and tagged me, too, but due to technical restrictions at work, where I do most of my blogging, I wasn’t able to cut and paste it here. Since I'm pretending to work working at home today with a sick Charlie, I decided I would finally take the opportunity to do it. So here goes:

Rules:

1. You Can Only Use One Word
2. Pass this along to 6 of your favorite bloggers
3. Alert them that you have given them this award
4. Have Fun!

The Fun Part:

1. Where is your cell phone? Couch

2. Your hair? Unwashed

3. Your mother? Friend

4. Your father? Protective

5. Your favorite food? cupcakes/cheeseburgers/Indian/grilled cheese/ice cream FrenchFries

6. Your dream last night? I'd have to sleep to dream None

7. Your favorite drink? FountainDietCoke

8. Your dream/goal? GoodMother

9. What room are you in? Family

10. Your hobby? Photography

11. Your fear? LosingMyChildren

12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Florida

13. Where were you last night? Home

14. Something that you aren’t? Organized

15. Muffins? LemonPoppySeed

16. Wish list item? Nanny

17. Where did you grow up? Minneapolis/Connecticut/Kentucky/Michigan Orlando

18. Last thing you did? Nebulizer

19. What are you wearing? Jammies

20. Your TV? Prominent

21. Your pets? Cats

22. Friends? Best

23. Your life? Crazy

24. Your mood? Happy

25. Missing someone? Kids

26. Vehicle? Minivan

27. Something you’re not wearing? Shoes

28. Your favorite store? NordstromRack

29. Your favorite color? Pink

30. When was the last time you laughed? Morning

31. Last time you cried? Morning (Good tears -- for Jaime!)

32. Your best friend? Faithy

33. One place that I go to over and over? LaundryRoom

34. One person who emails me regularly? Ya's

35. Favorite place to eat? Out

OK, so most of the people I am tagging are my Ya's that already tagged me, since I don't have that many friends that blog, so suck it up, Ya's! (LOL)

Tagged:

Kelly
Kristi
Reid
Mary
Lara
Laura

Shut up! We have a TOOF!

Well, I can't believe it, but my baby has his first tooth. I was loathe to label that tiny white speck a "tooth" at first, b/c my children have tricked me this way before. Each of my three children has started drooling ridiculously by around 4 mos, always triggering that anticipation -- "Oooh! I think a tooth is coming!" Then you start nosing around in their mouths, searching, "Do I feel one? I think I do! I swear there is one coming!" Both Jack and Kate have laughed in my face this way. Jack drooled like a bulldog from 4 mos, but then didn't give me that elusive first tooth until 8 mos. Kate was even worse -- not only did she drool, but you could SEE those damn teef coming up there through the gums FOREVER, and yet the first one did not protrude from her little gums until -- ridiculously -- 11 mos. So I've been down this road before, and I was NOT to be fooled. I wasn't going to do the whole "I know there is a tooth coming" game, and then spend the next 6 months going "Ahem. Cough. Oops! Nope, not yet." Until last night.

Charlie is, I must say, the most perfect baby. And I'm not just saying that as a mother -- that is my complete, non-prejudiced opinion. And I had the same opinion about Jack AND Kate, so I DO think I'm an expert in this area -- that of judging the perfection of my own children. Ahem. Anyway, aside from the general fussiness surrounding the diagnosis, correct treatment, and occasional forgetfulness of medicating associated with his acid reflux, Charlie is quite the charmer. Almost always smiling, cooing, and generally flirting. The past two nights, however, he's been fussing a lot, and waking up at night to play the binkie game. I wasn't TOO surprised, since we still haven't gotten this whole "sleeping through the night" game down pat. But really, on Sunday night I actually had to give him a bottle at 3 am. And for anyone who knows me, I am a complete bottle-nazi after 4 mos. There are NO NIGHTTIME BOTTLES. But he just would not be soothed with the binkie, and Mommy needed some sleep, so I gave in. Then last night I'm nosing around in that mouth of his, since he was continually putting his whole entire fist in there, and I saw it. That tiny little white speck of porcelain. My baby has a toof. A TOOF!

Can you see it?

And it was there again this morning -- bigger this time. It's for real, people. It's a tooth. A TOOF! This is a milestone to say the least. So far he has broken the Finkelman record of refusing to give up a tooth before switching to finger foods. Kate, I must say, was on finger foods -- chicken nuggets, even -- by 7 mos, after refusing to even touch the pureed foods I lovingly MADE for that [ungrateful wretch of a] ahem, perfect baby. And at this point, I'm already OVER that first mom horror of giving your child non-pureed foods before the teeth come. (Remember that? "How can I give him a Cheerio -- he has no TEETH!" Ahhh...the days before I knew how well gums are adapted to eating everything short of a carrot or t-bone steak...) So now, those precious days of babyhood for my last, perfect, baby are slipping by. My last baby has a TOOF. College to follow. Sob...

Big Changes Coming Up!

Well, we knew it was coming. Thankfully, we had thought through the possibilities over and over, and while we weren't directly prepared, we knew our lives as we knew them wouldn't end if it happened. But it did. I got laid off.

I have to giggle, b/c I think that a more pleasant "lay off" probably never happened at Marshfield before this. Chris and Elise came into my office, kind of hemmed and hawed for a minute, and I said to them "You don't need me anymore, do you?" Yep. Knew it was coming. Andrew and I had this conversation before. Me: "What they haven't yet realized, is that they just don't need in-house counsel. They would be find using outside counsel." Andrew: "Well don't tell THEM that!" Me: "I know, but we should be prepared for the day they realize it on their own."

And that day came. Honestly, I laughed with them both, and told them not to worry. I knew that they didn't need me, and I was prepared for the conversation. Andrew and I were starting to realize that daycare expenses for three kids were becoming cost-prohibitive anyway, and we were trying to see what other options we had. The decision was made for me, though, and I'm SO RELIEVED!!

So what lies ahead? Well, I am going to stay home for awhile, and at least get a chance to enjoy my youngest (last!) baby while I can. And I'm BE. SIDE. myself about that. I have to get the other two into preschool in the meantime, and it will mean a LOT of changes in the Finkelman house. But I think these changes will be GOOD. This will give me a chance to get my brain out of the law for awhile -- a place where I had become unhappy anyway, and was dying -- DYING to leave. I just don't have the heart for it anymore -- I want to be with my kids while I can. I am hoping to find something to do from home, so that I can at least generate SOME income to help with household expenses. And in the meantime, I'm hanging up my law degree and picking up my apron. And some Xanax... ;-)

The Search for Tamiflu

Andrew went to Boston this weekend to watch the Red Sox play in the Division Series. I made him take Kate, so I wasn't left with all 3 kids for the weekend. So it was just me and my boys -- wooo! Saturday we went to the Museum of American History down on the Mall, to meet one of my online friends visiting from Ohio, as well as a few of my local DC friends who also know her. After that, we went to Uncle Matt & Auntie Heather's house, to play with Makenzie and -- a special treat -- Kelly and Mary Regan, who were also visiting with Uncle John. WOOT! Jack complained that he didn't feel good, but as soon as Kelly showed up he was all smiles and seemingly felt fine. That night I let Jack sleep in bed with me as a special treat. Around 11;00, I'm watching Color Splash on HGTV (side note, anyone else love David Bromstad? LOVE!) and Jack starts moaning and crying in his sleep. I reached over to comfort him and realized he was burning a hole through the sheets, he was so hot. WOW. Took his temp, and it was 103.2. I nearly fell down the stairs running for the Motrin. He tossed and turned, moaning, wailing, and crying for me, most of the night. Sometime around 3am his fever finally broke.

Next morning I called the pedi. Jack had a terrible cough, and was complaining that "Mommy it hurts." What "it" was, only he knows, but I took it as a bad sign. Lovely Dr. Hseih offered to meet me at the office so she could look at him, and then promptly diagnosed him with the flu. Regular or Swine? Who knows -- she didn't bother testing. She said 70% of her cases that week had been flu, and they had stopped testing altogether. B/c Jack fit into all three high risk categories of being under 5, having asthma, and having an infant under 6 mos in the house, she put him on Tamiflu. And thus began The Adventure To Find The Damn Tamiflu.

First of all, I must brag that throughout the entire day, Jack was REMARKABLY well behaved. Granted, he was sick as a dog, but not many a 3 year-old will hold up well to the adventure we undertook. So I just had to throw that out there. He was a dream child.

Anyway, on the way home I went through the drive-thru of our regular pharmacy, and dropped off the script. The Pharmacist came back and said she no longer had any Tamiflu, tabular or suspension, and that I would need to look for another pharmacy. Then she said to me, "No matter what, you GET the medicine you need for your baby. If people tell you they don't have it, fight for it -- other pharmacies have it, and they CAN compound it, but they won't want to. Make sure you get it." I had NO idea how hard it was going to be. it was around 11:35 am at this point.

Thus began our journey to find Tamiflu. Each pharmacy was out, but seemed to know of another pharmacy that had it. I'd get there, and no Tamiflu. I finally just started calling from the car. The last one I called said they knew of a Walgreens in Ashburn that would compound. BINGO! I called the pharmacy to confirm, packed up the boys, and headed to Ashburn -- only to arrive and be told they need permission from my Pedi to compound. Sigh. My pedi was on call, but it had taken her 2 hours to get back to me in the morning. I didn't have 2 hours -- Jack was fading fast, and Charlie needed a bottle (which I hadn't brought with me). So they sent me down the road to a CVS that "has the suspension in stock." After getting lost in Ashburn, I finally found it. Turns out they were out of the suspension, but agreed to compound without doctor permission. Which takes an hour. So we spent our time in CVS -- me buying anything Jack wanted (such a good boy, did I mention?), and buying a bottle and formula so I could feed Charlie in the parking lot. Who knew it was going to take me this long to get Tamiflu? I was unprepared -- rookie mistake.

Anyway, we finally got the Tamiflu, I promptly gave Jack a dose in the parking lot, and then we ran by Giant so I would have some groceries for the babysitter in the morning. Jack was barely holding up. I make it through the grocery store, we're in line to buy the groceries, and Jack starts vomitting EVERYWHERE (side note -- beware the car carts at the Giant on Dranesville Rd. I told the Manager to decontaminate it, but part of me is afraid it didn't happen). He's hysterically crying, everyone is staring at me, and I'm calmly (mother of 3) telling him it will be fine, we're going home now. Sigh. It was 4:35 pm.

So our Tamiflu journey ended with me stripping my sobbing boy down in the Giant parking lot, and dragging him home with a fever -- again -- of 103. The Swine Flu experience is still ongoing at this point, but thankfully we have that stupid Tamiflu in hand. I just pray that Charlie and Kate come through without getting it. The fact that Jack coughed DIRECTLY in Charlie's face yesterday -- after being told not to go near him -- doesn't leave me with a lot of hope. Sigh. Our lives are always an adventure...

Trying not to jinx it...

Well, I hate to even type it, b/c I'm afraid it will go away, but lean in close and I'll tell you a secret: Charlie has been sleeping through the night. SHHHHH!!! Don't tell anyone -- I don't want to get over confident about the whole thing. It all started the night my parents arrived -- of course. The little shit waited three months for someone else to arrive to relieve me for a night, and then he decided that he would sleep for 6 hours. I hate to be annoyed about it, but really -- I mean really -- did he have to wait until the ONE NIGHT in three months that I actually had help to sleep?? But yes, he did. And my poor mom. She was so worried that he wasn't waking up, since I had told her that he was still on a 2.5-3 hour schedule, that she spent half the night up checking on him. So she didn't get to sleep the night through anyway.

But nonetheless I am grateful that he's at least going 5.5-6 hours through the night now. Of course my parents left this morning to go back to Orlando, so I'm sure that tonight he'll decide that he should probably get back on his every-3-hour schedule. But for now, I'll just hold my breath a little bit and hope that I didn't jinx it by talking about it. And that maybe, JUST maybe, this is the start of something GOOD. WOOOT!